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Monday, 25 March 2013

How to Face the First Day in Office?

How to Face the First Day in Office?

What is common between a fresher and one with eight years of experience? The nervousness of making it through the first day of work! After all as the famous adage goes: you don’t get a second chance to make the first impression!

The good news is that your boss and colleagues have gone through it, so they will make it easier for you to settle in. First day of work is filled with nervousness and anxiety for anyone, and this is irrespective of age or experience. But, the trick to is to keep your outside appearance calm and confident. What will help is to wear a warm smile, a confident gait and keep eye contact.

And to make it even simpler, try:

1. Wearing a positive attitude: This will make your new job exciting and will help you to develop a strong foundation. However, don’t fake it or overdo it. You don’t want to fall into the trap of over-committing, where you eventually fail to meet the expectations. So, remember to keep it simple and easy.

2. Wearing the right clothes: Yes, clothes make a man. So, it doesn’t matter if you are a man or a woman, spend some time grooming yourself before your first day. It’s best to learn about the company culture and what kind of clothes people usually wear at work. For instance, you don’t want to walk into an advertising agency, where the environment is causal, wearing a suit and jacket.

3. Taking a break: It is always best to take a week off before joining your new office. It’s always good to start on a fresh note. If that’s not possible, take enough rest before your first day. A fresh mind will help you fight the nervousness better.

4. Letting go off the past: Don’t compare your new office to the last place of work. And, most importantly don’t expect to create the same environment. This will only add to your frustration, leaving you miserable and grumpy on your first day. Give yourself time to adjust to the new place and do try to mould yourself to the new surroundings.

5. Expressing your gratitude: Be kind and appreciative to everyone. This will help you to ease into the process and system easily. People will be more open and willing to accept you. After all no one really wants to welcome a rude newbie, isn’t it?

Lastly, don’t go by old theory of a firm handshake is a confident handshake. Times have now changed. You don’t want to send out wrong signals. Thus, in case of a handshake follow the lead and modulate your pressure in accordance to the other person.

Of course, try and reach at least 20 minutes earlier. You can use this time to calm yourself before taking the first step into your new role.